Library to open after five year hiatus
At one stage it looked like Kingsthorpe library may have been closed for good
By Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
A Northampton library that has been sorely missed by the local community is set to reopen at the end of the month after closing five years ago. Volunteers and staff have been busy stacking shelves with books and hauling in new furniture to get the venue ready for its new patrons.
Kingsthorpe Community Library, on Welford Road, has undergone a complete revamp in partnership with the local parish council and the Northamptonshire Libraries service to bring the building back to life and welcome visitors in the coming weeks. At one point it looked like the library, which was once run by the county council, would not reopen.
In 2018 the library decided to slash the number of libraries it was running and just keep 19 of the 36 libraries across the county as a statutory service. The rest were handed over to community groups to run.
Library manager Andrew Naylor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that bringing back the venue provided a chance to create a “real heart of Kingsthorpe”.
“People tell me that it was very, very missed and that there isn’t anything that can bring people together quite the same way as the library. It’s not the books that make the library on their own. It’s the people that come in… and the things that we can do here.”
He added that there were already plans to make space for a ‘knit and natter’ group, act as a hub for support groups for children with special educational needs and even a request to host Zumba classes.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved through the parish council, through the partners in the library service and our volunteers and our staff. I can see the finish line in sight but we’ve got a very busy few weeks before we get there,” Andrew said.
Barbara Wheatley, a volunteer at the library who is part of the efforts to get the space ready for opening day, said: “I thought it was terrible when it was closed. I was absolutely devastated because the community missed it so much.
“I had severe depression from a few years ago and I came here when it was still open because I couldn’t go out the house very much. I didn’t have to speak to anyone if I didn’t want to… I got some books out and then it gave me a purpose of coming out again.
“It was an absolute lifeline for me. There’s all people in that situation now. I was so excited [when I heard about the reopening] – it looks really bright and welcoming and I think people will be impressed by it.”
Another library volunteer, Cheryl Ricketts, added:
“I’ve lived in Kingsthorpe nearly 46 years and I used [the old library] with the children and the grandchildren as well. Like everything else, it will only be as good as the community. We have to use it and push it and get people in.”
Kingsthorpe Parish councillor Mike O’Connor said that when they first entered the library to start renovation works it was like it had been “frozen in time” from the closure half a decade ago.
Chair of the parish council Rachael Ball added:
“We know that everyone is equally as desperate to get the doors open as much as we are.
“There’s been so many hurdles that we never could’ve envisaged when we first started this that have almost put a stop to the whole project. The fact that we’ve actually got to the point where we can see the end is in sight is so exciting for us all.”
Explaining the process behind the reopening, library assistant Lizzi McDonald said they had tried to strike a ‘balance’ between what people will remember in the old library and the new additions, which make it “brighter and more modern.”
“The buzz that we’re already getting from the community, the fact that people want it so much, that is something quite special I think,” she added.
The library is set to open its doors once again on March 29, when it will be hosting an event to celebrate. You can stay updated on the project by visiting the Kingsthorpe Community Library Facebook page here.
Wonderful news about Kingsthorpe Library - congratulations to all those who are making this happen (no doubt huge amounts of effort from all) and Thanks to NN for highlighting a positive story!
Congratulations to everyone who have worked so hard to make it happen.